HOUSTON -- More than 6,300 individuals applied to become a NASAastronaut between Nov. 15, 2011 and Jan. 27, the second highestnumber of applications ever received by the agency. After a thoroughselection process, which includes interviews and medicalexaminations, nine to 15 people will be selected to become part ofthe 21st astronaut class.

"This is a great time to join the NASA family," NASA AdministratorCharles Bolden said. "Our newest astronauts could launch aboard thefirst commercial rockets to the space station the next generation ofscientists and engineers who will help us reach higher and create anAmerican economy that is built to last."

The Astronaut Selection Office staff will review the applications toidentify those meeting the minimum requirements. Next, an expandedteam, comprised mostly of active astronauts, will review thoseapplications to determine which ones are highly qualified. Thoseindividuals will be invited to Johnson Space Center for in-personinterviews and medical evaluations.

"We will be looking for people who really stand out," said PeggyWhitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Centerand chair of the Astronaut Selection Board. "Our team not only willbe looking at their academic background and professionalaccomplishments but also at other elements of their personality andcharacter traits -- what types of hobbies they have or unique lifeexperiences. We want and need a mix of individuals and skills forthis next phase of human exploration."

NASA expects to announce a final selection of astronaut candidates inthe spring of 2013.

The selected astronaut candidates will have two years of initialtraining. Subjects will include space station systems, Russianlanguage and spacewalking skills training. Those who complete thetraining will be assigned technical duties within the AstronautOffice at Johnson and, ultimately, missions.

NASA Seeks Proposals For Edison Small Satellite Demonstrations

WASHINGTON -- NASA is seeking proposals for flight demonstrations ofsmall satellite technologies with the goal of increasing thetechnical capabilities and range of uses for this emerging category of spacecraft.

Small satellites typically weigh less than 400 pounds (180 kg) and aregenerally launched as secondary payloads on rockets carrying largerspacecraft. The small satellite category includes softball-sized"CubeSats," which are standardized, small, cube-shaped spacecraftthat can carry small payloads, and even smaller experimental spacecraft.

"NASA's Edison SmallSat program helps to continue America's leadershipin space through the further development of this class of satellites-- small, agile and relatively inexpensive spacecraft that couldperform many tasks in space enabling new missions and providingunique educational opportunities," said Michael Gazarik, director ofNASA's Space Technology Program at the agency's headquarters inWashington. "These spacecraft represent a new opportunity among themany ways that NASA can approach its diverse goals in science,exploration and education."

NASA's Edison Small Satellite Demonstration Program has released abroad agency announcement seeking low-cost, flight demonstrationproposals for small satellite technology. The topic areas for thissolicitation will be limited to demonstrations of communicationssystems for small satellites, proximity operations with smallsatellites and propulsion systems for Cubesat-scale satellites. Othertechnology and application demonstrations will be addressedin future solicitations.

"Encouraging the growth of small-spacecraft technology also benefitsour economy," said Andrew Petro, Edison program executive at NASAHeadquarters. "Many of the technologies that enable small spacecraftcome from the world of small business, where commercial practicesprovide innovative and cost-effective solutions. Those technologieswill continue to advance as demand and competition drive companiesto excel."

The advancement of small spacecraft technologies offers the potentialfor small satellites to expand the types of science and explorationat NASA. These spacecraft can accomplish new types of missions neverbefore possible, and they are expected to provide space access tomore technologists and scientists. Their small size means that theyare less expensive to build and launch, which allows NASA to engagethe expanding small-space community, including small businesses anduniversity researchers, in technology that helps enable larger goals.

Executive summaries of proposals must be submitted by March 4, 2012.NASA expects to invite full proposals this spring, with selectionsmade this fall. A selected project must be completed within two tothree years at a total cost of no more than $15 million. The numberof awards will depend on the quality and cost of proposals andavailability of funding.

The Edison Small Satellite Demonstration Program is managed by NASA'sAmes Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., for the SpaceTechnology Program, which works to provide the technologies andcapabilities that will enable NASA's future missions. To view theannouncement and instructions for submissions, visit:

Colbert Advocates NASA Space Station Research

HAMPTON, Va. -- Stephen Colbert, host of the nightly 'The ColbertReport,' said in a new NASA public service announcement releasedtoday that he's always been a huge fan of space.

The talk show host tells his Colbert Nation -- and the world -- thathe now likes space even more "because NASA is doing great things onthe International Space Station (ISS)."

The completion of the ISS ushered in new era of research and discoveryin a near gravity-free environment. Research on the orbitallaboratory is focused on four areas: human health and exploration;basic life and physical sciences; earth and space science; andtechnology development to enable future exploration.

Colbert specifically mentions the agency's work aboard the spacestation to develop new vaccines to fight infectious and deadlydiseases, such as salmonella and pneumonia. As resistance towardcurrent antibiotics becomes more common, there is an increasing needfor alternative treatments.

The Comedy Central comedian has had a continuing interest in the ISS.In 2009, when NASA asked the public to help name the station's Node3, Colbert urged his followers to submit the name "Colbert." The namereceived the most entries and astronauts continue to exercise on themost famous treadmill in the world, the Combined OperationalLoad-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill or COLBERT, in thestation's Tranquility module.